The function of the variable text is available after “Enable variable Text” is selected. Variable Text is a disciplinary and dynamic text which can be customized during the operation.
“Array” is the special array used in the variable text array, when using this array the time text changes automatically, but the 2.11 object property said the array will not change the text object, this is the difference between these two arrays.
Inside the EZCAD2 international edition, the variable text is a character string according to successively the order of each kind of different real-time change text element. The user may accord to the need to increase each kind of variable text element, which may carry on the order of rank to the text element.
After the user clicks “add”, the system will display a dialog box as Figure shows.
Currently, EzCad2 supports 9 types of variable text:
Fixed text: refers to the fixed invariable element in the operating process.
Serial number: The system will change the text according to the fixed increment when in the operating process.
Date Code: When the operation is taking place, the system will automatically pick up the date information from the computer as a newly formed text.
Time: When the operation is taking place, the system will automatically pick up the time information from the computer as a newly formed text.
TCP/IP communication: When the operation is taking place, the system will pick up the text from the network.
Serial communication: When the operation is taking place, the system will pick up the text from the serial port.
File: The system will seriatim read what is to be marked in the customized text file line by line.
Keyboard: Users can type text to be marked through the keyboard when the marking is in process.
SQL database: The system will seriatim read what is to be marked in the database line by line.
Fixed text
The fixed text refers to the fixed invariable element in the operation process.
Change Line character: uses in variable text, can resolve the question about multi-text must branch marking. This application increases one change line character between two variable texts, the software according to the change line character position automatically makes the text branch. If many texts need to divide into multi-lines, only need in the behind where want to branch’s text to increase one change line character.
The fixed text has a special option “User name”, when choosing this item, the system uses the current user name to replace the fixed text automatically.
Below explains with examples of the situation that needs to use in the fixed text the user name function.
If the present must process one batch of the workpiece as shown in Figure, because the worker is every day three number of runs in turn, in order to control the quality to need each operator marks his own name and does not process the part in the workpiece. Because only the designer and the administrator have the jurisdiction to change the processing document, the operator is unable to change the processing document to increase its own name, this time needs to use the fixed text user name function.
The administrator must enable “You must enter and password before using”, then sets a username and the password for each operator. The designer completes the processing document, the last text sets the user name in the object list. After this, each operator goes to work, after opening EZCAD2, must input own username and password, in processing this document time, the system alters to automatically the last text operator’s name.
Serial number
Serial number text is a text which is changed according to the fixed increment when in the operating process.
When selected, a serial number parameter setting will automatically appear in the variable text dialog box.
Mode: The mode current series number used, see the figure.
Dec: Series numbers carry according to the decimal system, the effective character is from zero to nine.
HEX: Series number carry according to capital letter hexadecimal system, the effective character is from A to F.
hex: Series numbers carry according to small letter hexadecimal system, the effective character is from a to f.
User define: The series number carry defines according to user define system, after selecting, the system will display a dialog box like the Figure shows.
The user can define carry ways discretionary between 2 to 64, only needs to define the max number, and then revises each serial number correspondence the text.
Start SN: This item indicates the first serial number to be marked at the present.
Current SN: the serial number to be marked at the present.
Limit: when mark the limit serial number, it will back to start serial number automatically.
Increment: the increment of the current serial number. The value may be plus or minus.
When the increment is “1”, and if the starting serial number is 0000, there will be an increment “1” added on the previous serial number. For example, 0000, 0001, 0002, 0003 … 9997, 9998, 9999, and when it comes to 9999, the system will be back to 0000 automatically.
When the increment is “5”, and if the starting serial number is 0000, the serial number is 0000, 0005, 0010, 0015, 0020, 0025 …
Others can be analogized by this.
Marks per: the marked number. This item indicates how many times every serial number is marked before changing.
Current num: the marking time of the current serial number, when the marking number equals to marks per, it will turn to 0 automatically.
if click “Filter belows“, the software won’t mark special number in special digit.
Mark numbers won’t end with 4, * means any digit.
Reset: The number will become the start SN in the set time.
Related: How to set the skip marking of laser marker?
Date Code
When the operation is taking place, the system will automatically pick up the date information from the computer as a new formed text.
When selected, a date parameter definition will be shown in the dialog box automatically. As Figure shows, users can directly choose the type they prefer.
Year – 2008: Use computer clock’s current year for corresponding text, the form is four characters.
Year – 08: Use computer clock’s current year for corresponding text, the form is two characters: latter two digits are effective of the year.
Month – 07: Use computer clock’s current month for corresponding text, the form is two characters.
Day – 04: Use current computer clock’s each month’s date for corresponding text, the form is two characters.
Day – 186: The use current computer clock this day takes the corresponding text from January 1 number of days, the form is three charactes. (What 001 represent on January 1, what 002 represent is on January 2, what 003 represent is on January 3, ex analogia)
Day of week – 5: Use current computer clock’s week date for corresponding text, the form is one character.
Week of year – 27: The use current computer clock this day is this year’s several week for the text which corresponds, the form is two characters (from January 1 to January 7 is 01, from January 8 to January 14 is 002, ex analogia)
Date: When the system read computer clock’s date, needs to add on the displacement date as the final date, this function mainly uses in the workpiece processing having the production date
and guaranteeing nature date professions, and so on food.
User-defined month character: When selected the month as the corresponding text, the Figure will be shown. Users can define the month character, changes to other characters that no longer uses the digit which the software defaulted, only needs double-clicks the selected month, input the month other characters, finally the month which shown on the software workspace is with the input character.
Click “User de“, the following dialog will show, user could define year as user need.
Time
When the operation is taking place, the system will automatically pick up the time information from the computer as a newly formed text.
When selected, a time parameter definition will be shown in the dialog box automatically. As the Figure shows, users can directly choose the type they prefer.
Hour – 24: Use current computer clock’s hour for the corresponding text, the time format is 24-hour-setting.
Hour – 12: Use current computer clock’s hour for the corresponding text, the time format is 12-hour-setting.
Minute: Use current computer clock’s minute for the corresponding text.
Second: Use current computer clock’s second for the corresponding text.
Time Section: Divides into 24-time sections one day of 24 hours, the user may define each time section as a text. This function mainly uses in the workpiece the processing needing to have the number of runs information.
TCP/IP communication
When the operation is taking place, the system will pick up the text from the network.
Notice: The network interface here is the network interface used in TCP/IP agreement.
When the user selected “TCP/IP communication”, the parameter defines will display automatically in the dialog box.
IPAddress: select the IP address which from reads the data.
Port: select the port the TCP/IP communication used.
Command: When the system processes this text object, the system through the network interface transmits this order character string to a computer assigned the IP address, request the computer sends the character string needs to process at present, the system will not return until the computer replied, after the response of the computer, the system will process the returns text automatically.
Unicode: After choosing this option, the system to the computer transmission which and the read character is the Unicode form, otherwise is the ASCII form.
The following example showed how to use this function:
Now has a customer to process 10000 workpieces, on the workpiece the marking content is text, but each workpiece must process the text content is dissimilar, therefore, before each workpiece processing, must real-time read the processing content through the network from the local area network a computer server (IP: 192.168.0.1 port is 1000) on.
1. Open ezcad2 to establish a text object, adjust the text size, the position and the processing parameter.
2. Choice the text object, select the “enables variable text”, click the “increase” button, and the system will spring a Figure dialog box as 4-32, select TCP/IP communication, set the network interface parameter, the IP address parameter fills in server computer’s IP, here is 192.168.0.1; the port parameter sets to use in the communication the port number, here is 1000, the network interface parameter must identically with the server computer on, otherwise it will cause to be unable communication.
3. Set the command is TCP: Give me string. (This command may be for the random server definition command.)
4. After closing the dialog box, click the application button.
5. Click F2 to start to process, the computer will send the command “TCP: Give me string” to the server immediately through the net mouth, and waited for that the server will return.
6. After the server discovered the network interface receives the command “TCP: Give me string”, reads the database immediately to obtain the text that the current must process, then gives the local computer through the network interface reply.
7. After the local computer obtains the text which must process, changes the processing data to transmit immediately to the marking board.
8. After the marking board receives the processing data, control the machining to mark the work piece immediately.
Serial communication
When the operation is taking place, the system will pick up the text from the serial port.
When the user selected “Serial communication”, the parameter defines will display automatically in the dialog box, see the figure.
Port: the port which computer and peripheral equipment connection used.
BaudRate: the BaudRate which the serial communication used.
DataBits: the DataBits which the serial communication used.
StopBits: the digits of StopBits of which the serial communication used.
Parity: select the digits of Parity which the serial communication used.
Command: When the system processes this text object, the system through the serial port to transmit this order character string to peripheral equipment, requests the peripheral equipment sends the character string needs to process at present, the system will not return until the peripheral equipment replied, after the response of the peripheral equipment, the system will process the returns text automatically.
Unicode: after choosing this option, the system to the computer transmission which the read character assigns is the Unicode form, otherwise is the ASCII form.
The following example showed how to use this function:
Now has a customer to process 10000 work pieces, on the work piece the mark content is a text, but each work piece must process the text content is dissimilar, therefore, before each work piece processing, must real-time through the serial port (On serial port parameter establishment server: the BaudRate is 15200, the DataBits is 8, the StopBits is 1, the Parity is NO)the content which the read must process to other servers on.
1. Open ezcad2 to establish a text object, adjust text size, the position and the processing parameter.
2. Choice the text object, select “enables the variable text”, and click the “increase” button, the system will spring a Figure dialog box as 4-32, select Serial communication, the setting of the serial port parameter must with the server’s serial port parameter correspondence (the BaudRate is 15200, the DataBits is 8, the StopBits is 1, the Parity is NO), the port for current the port number which uses with it connected server, the serial port parameter must establish identically with the server computer on
3. Set the command is COM: Give me string. (This command may for the random server definition command).
4. After closing the dialog box, click the application button.
5. Click F2 to start to process, the computer will send the command “COM: Give me string” to the server immediately through the serial port and wait for that server will return.
6. After the server discovered the serial port receives the command “COM: Give me string”, reads the database immediately to obtain the text that the current must process, then gives the local computer through the serial port reply.
7. After the local computer obtains the text which must process, changes the processing data to transmit immediately to the marking board.
8. After the marking board receives the processing data, control the machine to mark the work piece immediately.
File
Txt files and Excel files are supported now.
1. Txt files
When selecting the TXT file, a dialog box will be displayed to ask for the file’s name and the current text’s line number.
Auto reset: If checked, the line number will change to 0 automatically when reaching the last line. The next mark will start from the first line again.
Read all lines: When processes to the text document direct read the entire document.
2. Excel files
We have to appoint the file name, Field name, Line number to tell the software which cell in the Excel table will be marked.
File name: The text string of the first row in the datasheet1. This parameter indicates which column will be marked.
Keyboard
The keyboard element is the text which must process from the keyboard entry by the user, when selecting the keyboard element, a dialog box as Figure shown will be displayed to ask the user set the keyboard element parameter.
Fixed char count: user must input string with digit equal to this count
Prompt: In the processing, the system will spring the input dialog box which asks for the user to input the processing text when meets the keyboard variable text, this time the user direct by-hand input the text.
Set Pen Param: When selected, we can get power, speed, and frequency from the keyboard entry, only by setting pen.power, pen.speed or pen.freq. The “” is number of pen.
The keyboard element function uses frequently in this kind of situation when the processing needs real-time input to the processing content. If the customer presents needs processes one batch of work pieces, each work piece is printed with a bar code, when processing needs the user with the bar code scanning gun real-time scans the work piece to read the content on the bar code, then with laser to mark to the work piece assigns in the position, at this time can use the keyboard element function. At the processing time, the operator with the bar code scanning gun scanning bar code work piece on, the bar code scanning gun inputs the read content to the dialog box inside and closes it automatically, then the system will start to process the content read a moment ago automatically.
Advance
Click “Advance” then the dialog box will be displayed shown in Figure.
Enable fixed width: no matter how long is the text, the length will be limited in this range.
Mark Self: In certain situations, the user needs division the input keyboard text and then place them in a different position to mark, simultaneously also needs to mark this keyboard text, application this function can achieve these requirements.
After set the parameters of the division character, select “Mark Self”, when the marking, marks the division character besides, will also mark all keyboard text in the corresponding position which input a moment ago.
At present, the Advance function has split character string function. The following processing example will explain it.
For example: In the Beijing Olympic Games ticket prints on the bar code has the sports field entrance number as well as the seat number information, but the human is unable to distinguish the bar code directly, must use the laser to mark this information to the ticket assigns in the position. At this time we may use the split character string function, through the bar code scanning gun read the series number, then split the series number automatically, and processes to assigns the position. As shown in Figure the Olympic Games ticket sketch map, the bar code following the serial number is the bar code content, the serial number altogether has 7 characters, first 3 character expression entrance number, the latter 4 character expression seat number, what bar code scanning gun read-out is the entire character string, EZCAD2 must split the reads series number according to the request and puts to assigns the position automatically.
1. First establishes a keyboard variable text:
establish text—→enable variable text—→add—→keyboard.
2. Input prompting message, click “OK”.
3. Select “Advance”.
4. Selects “enable split string to change other text entity” to revise has assigned the name text object, click “Add” then the dialog box will be displayed shown as Figure.
Index of the first character in string: In the TEXT1 text the first character is the several characters in the keyboard variable text character string.
The number of characters to extract from string: extract how many characters in the keyboard variable text’s character string.
The name of the text entity that you want to change: The fixed text name the split read’s character is at.
Add Char Mode: click it then add the split characters behind of the text.
Here increase two conditions, one revises TEXT1 the object, starting from the 1st character to take 3 characters, other one revises TEXT2 the object, starting from the 4th character to take 4 characters.
5. Set two text objects and change its name TEXT1, TEXT2. Here should pay attention to the keyboard variable text must arrange before two fixed texts in the object list, the TEXT1 object places the position which the entrance number must process, the TEXT2 object places the position which the seat number must process, then set the processing parameter.
6. Click “Mark“, the user use bar code scanning gun to scan the ticket’s bar code, the system will put the series number division to inside TEXT1 and TEXT2 and process automatically.
